The present invention relates generally to covers for the bed of pick up trucks, and, more particularly, to apparatus for releasably mounting tonneau covers.
Certain motor vehicles, such as pick up trucks and the like, are constructed with an exterior cargo area or bed, usually toward the rear of the vehicle and behind the cab portion that is for the driver or other occupants. Such cargo beds can be convenient and readily accessible. However, in the vehicle as provided by the original manufacturer, the bed is typically exposed to the elements. Thus, any cargo within the bed would also be exposed to the elements while being transported or stored in the bed. Also, it has been found that the fuel economy of pick up trucks can be adversely affected by the wind resistance or drag of the exposed cargo bed.
In response to such disadvantages, pick up trucks users have previously mounted rigid caps, typically molded from fiberglass, over the cargo bed. These caps appear to form an extension of the driver cab by effectively adding height and a roof to the cargo bed. Access to the bed for loading and unloading of cargo is provided by one or more doors through the cap. Often, however, caps are relatively expensive and frequently too heavy and/or bulky for quick removal if oversized cargo is to be hauled. In addition, some caps interfere with the driver's rearward visibility. As an alternative, lighterweight tonneau covers have been secured to the top area of the walls of the cargo bed. These covers are generally flush, or nearly so, with the top of the vehicle bed walls when closed on the bed and can be lifted up in whole or part on hinges to provide access to the bed. When closed, the covers are typically latched in place, and those latches can include keyed locks for cargo security.
A wide variety of tonneau covers are presently used within the industry for covering the bed of a pick up truck. A number of factors have determined the desirability of given tonneau cover designs. For example, it has generally been found to be advantageous for the lid to match the styling of the pick up truck and appear to be an integral part of it. In that regard, it is preferable for the lid to present as low a profile as possible to the vehicle front and side walls and tailgate surrounding the bed.
Some of these prior tonneau covers are permanently attached to the pick up truck. However, if cargo is to be hauled in the bed of the pick up truck that exceeds the height of the bed walls, permanently mounted tonneau covers could not be conveniently used. For that reason, some tonneau covers have been marketed that are removably mounted to the pick up truck. Among removable tonneau covers, there are rigid and flexible cover varieties. Rigid covers provide greater protection for the cargo under the tonneau cover and generally have greater durability over long periods of use. Rigid covers also can be made to require less maintenance than some flexible tonneau covers. However, rigid tonneau covers tend to be heavier and have typically required more than one person to install it on the pick up truck, primarily due to the cover weight and the alignment precision and coordination needed with prior installation or mounting systems.
These prior mounting systems have generally been of two types, those that penetrate a portion of the truck body or have a detachable portion that is permanently fixed to the vehicle, and those that are merely clamped to the vehicle and completely removable. Where the mounting system penetrates the side wall of the truck bed, for example, the tonneau cover can be positively located with respect to the vehicle with a minimum of sliding relative thereto during use. However, in many situations, systems that penetrate a portion of the vehicle or are permanently attached even in part are not desirable from the standpoint of preventing corrosion, maximizing truck bed usage alternatives and preserving full vehicle aesthetics. At the same time, with some prior clamping mounting systems it has been necessary to be especially careful that the clamps are properly positioned and the cover is securely mounted. If the clamps are not properly positioned, even if the cover is secure against movement off of the vehicle, the weather seals and latching mechanisms may not function properly.
Further, even when the clamps are properly aligned when initially installed on the vehicle, situations can arise where the weather seals and latching mechanisms may cease to function properly. For example, rigid tonneau covers have been constructed from a variety of materials, such as fiberglass and ABS plastics, or combinations of materials. Initially, these covers are typically closely mounted to the top of the bed walls of the pick up truck. However, over time and varying temperature conditions sagging and/or bulging can occur over the length and width of the cover. In addition to its impact on appearance and structural integrity, this sagging or bulging can cause misalignment of the hardware used to install and latch the tonneau covers. Thus, the cover may not close properly and/or adequately secure the tonneau to the pickup truck in certain situations. In addition, deformation of the cover and/or portions of the bed walls can occur due to uneven application of or support for the cover load by the mounting and/or latching hardware. This deformation can similarly have adverse impact upon the mounting and closing system as well as the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.
Other concerns with prior removable covers arise from the procedures needed to remove the cover. For example, in many covers prop arms are used to support the cover when it is opened. The prop arms are typically fixed at one end to the cover and removably secured to a bracket connected to the vehicle at the other end. When removing the prop arm from the bracket to remove the cover from the vehicle, special care must be taken not to let the prop arm swing freely about its other end and scratch the paint off a portion of the vehicle.
At the same time, however, since the prop arm supports at least a substantial portion of the cover weight when the cover is opened, it is necessary that the arm be securely retained in the bracket when in use. Further, the bracket is preferably removable with the mounting system and does not need to be attached to the vehicle in a way the penetrates or damages the vehicle. Also, while it is advantageous to have a prop arm that provides as much lift assistance as possible to opening of the cover, it is important that the prop arm bracket not detrimentally affect or interfere with the mounting system.
In addition, some prior covers required specific elevated or inclined orientations of the cover to be maintained in order to disconnect the cover from the mounting system components. To the extent such orientations departed from the horizontal plane there is risk that a sudden gust of wind could shift the cover out of control of the user. Further, to the extent that elevation significantly above the top of the bed walls there is greater risk of injury to the user if that control of the cover is lost. It has been suggested to minimize these latter two concerns by using light but strong materials to form the cover, such as Telene, but such covers have thus far exhibited even greater thermal expansion characteristics than older, heavier materials.
Similarly, mounting some prior frames or support rails for the tonneau covers has been relatively awkward and complex. Typically, the cover has been supported by a U-shaped rail frame, such as the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,017. While such frames can have minimal weight, given the width of the vehicle bed and the resulting dimensional separation of the side wall rails, lifting such frames into position and securing them to the vehicle, or later removing them, has often required the work of at least two persons.
At the same time, the market for tonneau covers has traditionally been highly competitive, with consumers being very cost conscious. To the extent prior systems have attempted to provide for easier cover installation, they have generally resulted in systems that are more expensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for releasably mounting tonneau covers to a pick up truck. Other objectives include the provision of a tonneau cover mounting arrangement that:
a. is easy to install onto a vehicle and securely retains the cover to the vehicle, PA1 b. permits the cover to be readily removed from the vehicle with or without removing the mounting frame from the vehicle, PA1 c. provides greater user control over the cover during cover installation and removal, PA1 d. accommodates thermal induced dimensional variation in the cover without loss of weather seal or of mounting or closure latching control, PA1 e. permits more consistent manufacturing process results and improved product quality, PA1 f. maintains a minimal profile over the top of the bed walls, and PA1 g. is easier to open and close and minimizes destructive stresses on the vehicle support.
These and other objects of the present invention are obtained by the provision of a tonneau cover having at least one hinge-mounted rotary latch adjacent the front of the cover, at least one support prop along the side of the cover intermediate the front and rear of the cover, and at least one rotary latch mounted adjacent the rear of the cover, with a pair of independent side rails mounted to the vehicle, at least one of which contains a bracket for releasably receiving the hinge-mounted rotary latch, a support prop receiving bracket cantilevered below and away from the vehicle side wall, and a rear catch bracket for receiving the rearward rotary latch independent of dimensional variations induced from thermal forces over the cover. To facilitate release of the hinge-mounted rotary latch within close confines of the front area of the vehicle bed, a self-contained trip handle is included in the receiving bracket. To prevent the support props from inadvertently damaging the vehicle during installation or removal of the cover, clips are provided to fix the free end of the props to the cover once it is removed from the rail mounted bracket. Dampening magnets or weights are provided to offset thermal expansion of the cover, and leveling nibs are provided to offset thermal contraction of the cover. To facilitate proper alignment of the hinge-mounted rotary latch with the rail mounted bracket during installation and usage under a variety of conditions, a self-centering spring arrangement is provided. Further, to minimize projection of the mounting system away from the vehicle, the rails can be formed to conform to the wall portion of the vehicle portion to which they are mounted.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will now become readily apparent to those in the art from the following detailed description and attached drawings.